


The Nine Bestowments

by SPANDEXUAL



Category: Shin Sangokumusou | Dynasty Warriors
Genre: Anal Sex, Historical References, M/M, Politics, Praise Kink, Sexual and otherwise, Slow Burn, mentioned Cao Pi/Zhenji, mentioned Zhou Tai/Sun Quan, questionable intent, slow burn-ish at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24109216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPANDEXUAL/pseuds/SPANDEXUAL
Summary: Following the death of Guan Yu at Fan Castle, Sun Quan requests Cao Pi's allegiance. Cao Pi is more than happy to cage a tiger, but fierce beasts cannot be tamed so easily.(A Dynasty Warriors story based very, very loosely on Cao Pi and Sun Quan's historical relationship in the year of Sun Quan's submission to Wei.)
Relationships: Cáo Pī/Sūn Quán
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	1. Gift of a wagon and horses: when the official is appropriate in his modesty and walking in an appropriate manner, so that he does not need to walk any more.

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes on history, novels, and video games: Historically Sun Quan (born 182) was older than Cao Pi (born 187), but Cao Pi is older than Sun Quan in the games (27 and 24 respectively). I've decided to make them both around 27 in this fic because otherwise my brain would melt trying to even the discrepancies between history, ROTK, and Dynasty Warriors. As for the plot of this fic, yes, The Nine Bestowments are a real thing, yes, Cao Pi did gift them to Sun Quan when he was very briefly a vassal of Wei, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_bestowments). However, as Not A Historian, I don't really have any idea how they went about giving them out. Also, Sun Quan stayed in Jianye during his time as Cao Pi's vassal, but that's boring, so I made him stay in Xuchang, because this is a slash fanfic and I have wanted to write a fic portraying a relationship between these two since DW5 came out.

Wei's cities sprawl as if no citizen can bear to be within earshot of each other. Sun Quan reasons that perhaps it's merely that he is taking this stroll alongside Cao Pi which makes the streets feel so endless. Their pace is relaxed but not slow, befitting of the sunrise hour, and wherever Cao Pi is walking to, he has taken a fairly direct route. Despite this, he finds himself growing bored, thoughts dulled by the constant drone of Cao Pi's attendants informing him of the morning's news stripped clean of anything his former rival and new vassal might find intriguing. But Sun Quan has been bored many times before, and his forward gaze only falters to follow Cao Pi's own towards a rather plain looking food stall.

The Emperor, (his Emperor, Sun Quan thinks sourly) approaches the peasant woman, and speaks in a low voice. She seems to be familiar with him in the way an old auntie would be, neither gracious nor grovelling as she shakes a bundle of garlic towards him and then to Sun Quan himself.

"King of Wu."

Sun Quan hopes Cao Pi did not notice the hesitation he had in responding to his new title.

"Your tongue, what is it like?" Cao Pi asks, voice severe, but posture casual, a skewer of red-glazed meat in one hand.

"My tongue?"

"Do you tolerate spiciness well?"

"I favour it."

Cao Pi beckons him forward, and the pungent aroma and billowing steam brings new focus to Sun Quan's wandering mind.

"Oh, how well he holds himself," the old woman states, looking Sun Quan up and down. "Handsome, too."

Sun Quan flushes. He does try to present himself as clean and refined, especially around Cao Pi, who still looks at him like he smells of sea spray, but scarce has he heard compliments on his features, even from his childhood servants.

"Thank you, but—"

"Here, young King of Wu. Your hair will grow long and healthy if you eat more of this. Look at how dark and smooth the Emperor's hair is."

"Thank you again, though—"

"It helps the stomach, too, especially after too much merriment. Your face tells a story, young King of Wu. But it is better to enjoy oneself, especially when one is strong and good-looking."

"Ah, I appreciate the generosity, but—"

Sun Quan's arms are overflowing with twice-rejected-and-third-accepted gifts by the time Cao Pi returns. He had noticed him leaving, but between the questionable affections of an old woman and the swarm of attendants surrounding him, he hadn't managed to ask why. Why was he leaving? Why was he here in the first place? Why is this woman piling gifts upon him as if he's in need of desperate charity?

"You will tire, carrying all that. Come, I have prepared a wagon for you." Cao Pi sniffs, though his haughty air is tarnished by the woman shoving a large meat bun into his outstretched hand.

Sun Quan takes his leave as quickly as is polite.

"That woman… is she a relative? You seem to know each other." Sun Quan asks as he steps into the carriage, curiosity overcoming him now more than ever as he and his new bounty of herbs, spices, ointments, tinctures, and dried fruit are fussed over in every which way by Cao Pi's attendants.

Cao Pi's lips curve slightly upward, his eyes dark.

"Just the widow of my brother's closest friend."

"I see." Sun Quan thinks of Xiaoqiao, her effervescent charm and her boundless energy, tries to imagine her running a food stall. The mental image brings a soft smile to his face.

"I had him executed a long time ago. It's good to see her thriving."

Sun Quan pauses, and bows his head, finally breaking eye contact. Cao Pi beckons for the wagon to leave.

"Have it painted as you see fit. The people of Wei should know which carriage to bow their heads to."

The smile on Cao Pi's lips grows wider, more wicked. Sun Quan is grateful that his coachman drives his horses quickly.


	2. Gift of clothes: when the official writes well and appropriately, to show his good deeds.

Wei is cold. Not the blustering, biting, but refreshing cold of a boat at sea, but the kind of cold that finds any exposed skin with an icy caress, chilling the body from the inside out. Sun Quan has no shortage of furs, but his writing becomes bitterly concise, each moment holding a brush an extra moment for his frozen hands to start cramping up. It irritates him on more than just a physical level. Where once he would lay decrees and requests on soft beds of genteel diplomacy, he finds himself abandoning such delicacy for efficiency, and watches in distaste as his words turn as harsh as the crunch of morning frost underneath his feet.

The foul mood follows him as he reaches the palace, and his numb, clumsy fingers brush against Cao Pi's as the Wei Emperor passes him their daily tea.

When he returns to his bedroom after sunset, at last free to remove his golden headdress and fluff his hair out around his chill-reddened ears, he's not surprised to find another gift left for him.

The heavily embroidered padded coat inside the large, exquisitely carved camphor wood chest warms him well, as does the full new wardrobe of silk robes, some embroidered with phoenixes, some with flowers, one cuffed with the finest sable, one with badger, and all as practical as they are beautiful. New boots rest at the bottom of the chest, subtle in their luxury compared with everything else inside the box, extravagant when compared to the comfortable and battle-worn boots Sun Quan has been favouring. There are even new undergarments, and these are the only things that do not bear the colours of Wei.

Sun Quan suffers the cold for another week, but the maids are slow to wash and dry his clothes. Cao Pi declines to make note of how vivid mahogany hair looks against dark blue, or how his new vassal no longer fumbles with his calligraphy brush or, indeed, his words.

"The farmers predict that this winter will be colder than usual." Cao Pi says on the day the last leaf falls from the tree in his private garden. Sun Quan can only hum in acknowledgement, halfway through a mouthful of noodles. Cao Pi does like to start conversation when there's little chance of it being two-sided.

"It will be difficult for them, but my father made significant advances in regards to agriculture, so—"

Sun Quan finishes chewing and swallows thickly, throat suddenly tight.

"—it's not like they'll starve to death. Besides, the people of Wei are hardy."

Cao Pi pours himself some tea, and stares out at the barren landscape.

"No one would think it strange if a guest from a warmer land were to stay in the palace when it's too cold to leave, though."

A soft chuckle escapes Sun Quan's lips, though he silences it quickly with a sip of tea.

"Hm? What is it you find so amusing about that? Can't believe Wei treats its guests well, even ones like you?"

"It's not that..." Sun Quan says, a smile returning to his eyes if not his lips, "Rather, I think you should leave the pretty words to General Zhang He."

The flash of fire in Cao Pi's eyes is exactly what Sun Quan both fears and desires, but it's replaced with ice in an instant.

"Hmph. I suppose you're right. Forgive me, O King of Wu, for daring to speak formally to a pathetic underling like you."

This time, Sun Quan doesn't restrain the laughter bubbling within him.

"That directness suits you."

"And such insolence is only to be expected from a country bumpkin like yourself."

Their lunch is cold and barely touched by the time Cao Pi's attendants collect him for a meeting and to take Sun Quan back to his new home just outside the palace, but neither man feels hunger for anything as simple as food or drink.


	3. Gift of armed guards: when the official is brave and willing to speak the truth, so that he can be protected.

The palace attendants find out quickly that Sun Quan's submission is to Cao Pi and Cao Pi alone. His fiery passion shuts down most officials before they can even begin, and his temper, while not as unpredictable as some others, blazes hot behind his calm jade eyes.

It's Sima Yi who has earned the ire of the King of Wu this windy afternoon, a man with a fast mind, a fast tongue, and the unshakeable belief that Wei should have invaded Wu instead of making peace with them. Cao Pi watches them spar, intellectual insults clashing with open vitriol amongst the blossoming spring beauty of the imperial tea gardens. It's amusing, though the Wei officials on either side of the debate are all pinning Sima Yi with a look of deep concern.

Cao Pi thinks nothing of it until he hears a village marquis complain of how much safer he would feel if Sun Quan was no longer a concern.

Sun Quan is suspicious at first when Cao Pi assigns him a regiment of armed guards. It's not that he isn't used to being shadowed (oh, how he desperately misses Zhou Tai) or that he fears they would kill him in his sleep (it would have been much easier to do as much on his arrival to Xuchang), but rather that it implies there's need for such a thing.

"Zihuan," Sun Quan starts, only once he's sure they're alone, "Are the guards necessary?"

Cao Pi restrains the snarl that threatens to curl his mouth every time Sun Quan uses his style name. It's an unimaginable taboo, an offence that he could have him executed for, but somehow, it has become their new normal behind closed doors. He puts down his brush, pushes aside the scrolls he's been working on, and props his feet up on his desk, arms crossed.

"Yes, they are. Have you come here simply to complain? I doubt you'd understand, but I have a lot of work to do."

"I'm sure you do." Sun Quan smiles, and walks over to lean against the desk, plucking a dried jujube from the untouched plate of fruit by Cao Pi's hand and tossing it into his mouth as if such a brazen act of disrespect towards the Emperor was completely natural. "I have to say, it's been amusing to watch Sima Yi scurry back and forth through the palace."

Cao Pi lets out a scoff and nods his head towards the scroll he'd just pushed away.

"He works hard, so that I do not have to. Or so was the idea, it seems I'm doing just as much as I ever was."

"Heavens forbid that the emperor be involved in the affairs of his country." Sun Quan jokes, and to his surprise, Cao Pi cracks a thin smile as well.

"Your honesty and boldness puts you in danger, Zhongmou."

"Ah, so that's the reason, is it?"

"Hm?"

"You needn't worry about me so much, Zihuan."

The corner of Cao Pi's mouth almost twists into a snarl again, and he stands, the scrape of his chair loud in the silence of the room.

Silence that grows heavier as they stand face to face, tension rippling between their locked gazes.

"I'm making sure everyone knows that it is I alone who decides if you should live or die." Cao Pi hisses, his face close enough now that they're breathing each other's air.

"So, why is it that you haven't let them kill me?" Sun Quan tilts his chin up, defiant to his last breath.

Cao Pi answers the way he's been dreaming of for months, with a crushing, demanding, frustrated kiss. The King of Wu kisses him back in kind, mouth as hot as an open flame, the taste of jujube syrupy on his tongue. But as suddenly as the passion overtakes him, Cao Pi realises he has to cut it short and pulls away, breathless.

"An answer as good as any," Sun Quan says quietly, neither of them now looking at the other.

"Sima Yi has been working far too hard these days..." Cao Pi says after a moment, and is met with a confused glance from Sun Quan. "I shall hold a banquet in his honour, to celebrate his hard work. You will sit by my side, and everyone will see you toast to him."

The confused glance turns into a narrowed glare, but Cao Pi continues without pause.

"However, I have been working hard these days as well, so I'll have to retire early."

The glare fades into a smirk, and Sun Quan bows his head.

"Of course. The emperor needs to be well-rested. I, too, have been feeling a little tired as of late."

"Then I don't see a reason why you should be forced to stay longer than necessary either. It would be a shame to miss the festivities, of course, but some things are more important."

The banquet is delayed. There's too much work to be done, both Cao Pi and Sima Yi claim, and by the terse conversations that Sun Quan has been having with Cao Pi of late, he supposes he has no choice but to believe it. The tension in the air is thick even up to the night of banquet itself, and Sun Quan tries hard not to let it bother him as he takes his seat beside the stiff-backed Cao Pi.

"You dress beautifully," Cao Pi says, openly looking his new vassal up and down. It's high praise, considering how elegantly the Emperor is dressed himself, dripping in silver accessories that coordinate perfectly with the light greys and blues of his ensemble. "Special occasion?"

Sun Quan lets out a quiet puff of laughter. So, Cao Pi doesn't take banquets as seriously as he'd assumed.

"Not every day you get to sit next to the Emperor."

"So you would out-dress him?"

Cao Pi's tone turns sharp, and Sun Quan's blood runs cold. He'd worn his best outer robes, glistening gold threads woven through dark orange in designs of tigers and wildflowers, accented them with the beautiful turquoise silk inner robes Cao Pi had gifted him and worn accessories to match, and while he thought he'd make a good impression, he had no intention of stealing attention to himself. Such a thing could easily be seen as an execution-worthy insult to the Emperor.

"My beloved, you've scared the poor thing half to death…" Zhenji purrs from beside him, laughter bubbling beneath her usually perfectly smooth voice. "Look, he's gone completely pale."

Cao Pi laughs openly at that, and she joins him with a harmonic giggle of her own.

"Come, drink, King of Wu," Cao Pi raises his cup, "Drink, everyone. To Sima Yi!"

"To Sima Yi!"

Sun Quan drinks little. Normally, he'd drink heavily to dull nerves like this, but with Cao Pi's earlier words and Zhenji's continued odd glances, he finds himself cautious, nursing one cup in the time it takes to watch others drink three. He makes a modest attempt to eat as well, but even though he'd missed lunch today, he has no appetite, no interest in the spread of glistening meat and fresh-picked vegetables before him.

"I see you share my lack of appetite tonight, King of Wu," Cao Pi says from behind his cup, a soft flush colouring the high points of his cheeks and his hand suddenly heavy on Sun Quan's thigh. "I wonder, is there something else that you're hungry for?"

"Zi— Your Highness!" Sun Quan hisses, and feels his own face burn brightly despite barely having drunk at all. Cao Pi's hand slides upwards and inwards, squeezing at soft inner thigh, sensation barely dulled by expensive silks. He turns back to the table, trying in vain to pretend there's nothing happening, and immediately catches the gaze of a very red-faced but still sharp-eyed Sima Yi. The strategist smirks and seems to relay his predicament to the generals by his side, and to Sun Quan's surprise, there's little reaction apart from Zhang He giving him a short, appraising look, then saying something (amusing? Insulting? It's hard to tell from the mixed reactions) to his companions while his feline eyes stay locked on Sun Quan's own. Sun Quan understands now, in that moment, why Zhang He is the one general whom Zhuge Liang fears.

"As lovely as this all is, I'm going to have to retire early. Enjoy yourselves, as I know you will." Cao Pi announces, hand squeezing Sun Quan's thigh again, then stroking down and back up again, even higher than before. He teases just a moment, though, and then pulls his hand away to whisper to his wife, though still loud enough that surely anyone walking past could hear.

"My dear, you will make sure Zhongda enjoys himself to the point where I won't see him until at least lunchtime tomorrow, won't you?"

"Of course, my beloved. General Zhang He and I have long awaited the moment to execute a strategy of our own…"

"Mmm, as long as you leave him alive…" Cao Pi kisses her on the cheek as he rises, and Zhenji blows a kiss at him in return. It's… very sweet, and Sun Quan tries not to notice Zhenji noticing him noticing her.

"No promises, my beloved," she says with a perfect smile, and Sun Quan pours himself a fresh cup of wine.

It doesn't help. The longer he stays, even though it's been barely minutes, the stronger the feeling he gets that everyone here thinks he's already shared Cao Pi's bed, and not only that, but that it's such a common occurrence that it's barely even noteworthy. All his unsaid questions itch under his skin, and soon he can't sit still any longer. He makes his escape and his way to Cao Pi's room without much notice, and tries his best to look like he's here on serious and important business when he dismisses his own guards and requests that the ones at Cao Pi's door open it for him.

"They already know we have important business to discuss," comes Cao Pi's voice from within, sharp and scolding. The guards, who had been staring Sun Quan down, rush to usher him inside.

"Business that is not to be overheard or disturbed for anything less than mortal danger, lest you wish to be in such yourself," Cao Pi calls, louder, as he walks forward, and Sun Quan hears the footsteps scurry to the opposite ends of the corridor in the same moment Cao Pi pulls him in and kisses him hard.

It's almost painful, the way their lips meet, and they do their best to make it hurt more and better with teasing teeth and tangled tongues, a war of attrition that Sun Quan feels himself losing the moment Cao Pi presses him up against the door.

"Wait," Sun Quan pants, breathless. He's not used to this lack of control. It's not that he dislikes it, rather Cao Pi's directness is dizzyingly arousing, but still, he's used to calling the shots, even if he's demanding to be ravished.

"Why?" Cao Pi asks in reply, and kisses the side of Sun Quan's throat. The room is well lit, lamps scattered throughout, but it feels as dark and heavy as the first night of a new moon. Cao Pi's teeth scrape over his pulse, and Sun Quan can't help the embarrassing whine that escapes his lips. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Does it even matter what I say…?" Sun Quan murmurs, to himself more than to Cao Pi, but when he goes to kiss Cao Pi again, the Emperor pulls away, a furious expression on his already permanently angry-looking face.

"If I wanted to simply conquer you, I'd have done it by now." Cao Pi growls dangerously, and Sun Quan is taken aback. "Do you think me such a barbaric man? That I would just throw my greatest rival to the floor and have my way with him? Don't think that I'd waste my breath on questions I don't wish to hear your answers to."

Sun Quan smiles, small, barely a tugging at the corner of the lips, the tension in his muscles too high for him to do much more than that. Cao Pi is a hypocrite, talking about not wanting to waste his breath while they've spent so long talking about everything and nothing, but here, now, he's glad for it. He leans in to kiss him and Cao Pi returns it, softly, a hand coming up to brush a lock of Sun Quan's hair away from his face. The heat between them is no longer scorching but instead comfortably warm, and it gives Sun Quan a moment to regroup.

"Your greatest rival, huh? Didn't know you held me in such high regard."

Cao Pi raises a brow.

"False modesty doesn't suit you."

"I'm not trying to be modest, it's just that…"

Cao Pi hushes him with another soft kiss.

"My father always praised you so highly. To be such a great leader at such a young age…"

"Jealous, are you?" Sun Quan teases, and leans into the hand still toying with his hair.

"No. I don't envy the circumstances of your rise to power."

Cao Pi's voice is filled with such uncharacteristic honesty and empathy that Sun Quan has a hard time believing it came out of his mouth at all.

"Don't you believe me?" Cao Pi asks in response to Sun Quan's silence, and backs away to sit on his bed. "My respect is earned, and not given lightly. To lose your father and brother at such a young age but still manage to defeat us at Chibi… You've proven yourself worthy of it."

"Is that all? My military prowess?"

"You've also proven yourself headstrong, bold, independent… Combined with your might and your unique beauty, who wouldn't respect you? Who wouldn't be captivated by you? And why," Cao Pi leans over to his nightstand and pours himself some wine, "Do you get that look on your face whenever someone brings up how attractive you are?"

Sun Quan looks back up at Cao Pi, unaware until that moment that he'd been gazing at the floor instead, as if that could hide the burn in his cheeks.

"It's… I'm not used to hearing it, that's all."

"Are the people of Wu blind, or just rude?"

"Rather, it seems the people of Wei hand out compliments more freely…"

Cao Pi sips on his wine, and the distant sound of Zhang He's boisterous laughter echoes through the halls.

"You may be right." Cao Pi says coolly, and tosses back the rest of his wine. "Shall I compliment you further, then? Let's start with the obvious. Take down your hair for me."

Sun Quan complies, removing his gold headdress and ribbons and placing them on the chest behind him. He roughly combs through his hair with his fingers, untangling the long mahogany strands, and tries to make himself look presentable before turning back around, self-consciousness gripping him as if he was a teenager trying to look the part of a king in front of his father's and brother's retainers again. But it's more than just that, he knows. He's taken the first step towards a place he can never return from, and Cao Pi's hungry eyes only draw him in further.

"How lucky you are, to have such hair."

"Not at all. Surely everyone would want hair like yours, so long and dark and sleek."

"Of course they do. But there is more than one type of beauty in this world, and you are something rare and mysterious."

Sun Quan looks at his hands as he combs through his hair some more, and wonders if its unusual hue really is worthy of such praise.

"Raise your eyes."

"Hm?"

"Again, such rare beauty. To look into your eyes is to gaze upon a jade tiger. Come, sit with me, so I can see if they change in the lamplight the way jade does."

Sun Quan complies again, and tries to ignore the way his chest tightens as he kneels on the bed and looks directly up into Cao Pi's eyes. It's a little hard, with the bright light of the lamp glaring right behind Cao Pi, but he holds his gaze, and it's Cao Pi who breaks eye contact first.

"As expected… I can't place their colour at all…" he murmurs more to himself than to Sun Quan, and a rare smile makes its subtle presence known on his ever-frowning lips.

"Your hair… it reminds me of the outside of a passionfruit or mangosteen…" his voice is soft as he reaches out and combs through Sun Quan's hair with his own fingers, arranging it around his face as he sees fit. "Would you take that as a compliment if I told you it was intended to be one?"

"I don't have a choice but to accept, do I?" Sun Quan means to joke, but his voice comes out as soft as Cao Pi's, unintentionally honest as the rhythmic stroking of his hair makes him feel more at peace than he knows he should be with such a dangerous man so close.

"I'm giving you one, now." Cao Pi replies, his hand still now, gentle on the side of Sun Quan's face.

"Then yes." Sun Quan answers, and holds Cao Pi's hand in place with his own before turning to kiss the Wei emperor's palm. Both of them know this is more than accepting a compliment, more than just a simple kiss. Cao Pi lets his smile grow wide enough for his canines to show.

This time when their lips meet, it's slow and searching, though no less heated than before. They're more evenly matched this time too, and now Sun Quan doesn't have to expend all his effort just to keep up, his hands start to wander from their place curled in the blankets up into Cao Pi's lavish robes, mimicking what Cao Pi had been doing to him at the banquet.

It's the spark that sets their blood alight. Sashes and robes unravel and paint the floor in vivid hues, precious metals scattering light from where they lie carelessly thrown aside. Tanned skin presses close to pale, and in the middle of it all, Sun Quan bites down on Cao Pi's bottom lip and asks for more.

"I saw the flask of oil beside the wine. You were planning on using it tonight, weren't you?"

"You're perceptive when you want to be…" Cao Pi mumbles, and presses a kiss against Sun Quan's jaw as he stands to fetch it, kicking their mess of clothing away as he does. He's faced with a pleasant sight as he returns, Sun Quan laying on his stomach, propped up on his elbows and a smug smile on his face. He takes a moment to look him over, to take in the unmarred skin of a pampered prince, but the dense muscles of a born warrior.

"Well?" Sun Quan's voice is low, and while the arch of his back is attractive, it also reminds Cao Pi sharply of a tiger ready to pounce. He supposes that's quite attractive as well, especially when he catches Sun Quan's eyes flick down past his waist before meeting his again.

"You keep yourself in wonderful shape," Cao Pi whispers into Sun Quan's ear as he moves to straddle that broad, tanned back, "I imagine you work hard for it."

"Would you care to watch me train, one day?" Sun Quan asks, shivering slightly as Cao Pi pours cool oil onto his back and spreads it with soft, easy movements.

"Nude?"

"Pervert." Sun Quan says with a laugh, and Cao Pi can't deny it. He does, however, move down to straddle Sun Quan's thighs, and gives his rounded, well-muscled rump a light swat.

"Ah! Rude!" Sun Quan can't see him well like this, but he still turns the best he can to give Cao Pi a disapproving scowl.

"You should talk, insulting the Emperor." Cao Pi sneers in reply, and roughly squeezes the cheek he'd just smacked, then the other, enjoying the way the muscles flex underneath the healthy layer of fat. Sun Quan just whines wordlessly, and once Cao Pi finally relinquishes his hold on his ass, he shifts forward and raises it, knees now tucked beneath him.

"I'm _so_ very sorry, Your Highness. Now, will you please hurry up?" Sun Quan looks almost casual as he glances back over his shoulder and arches his back even more than the already steep curve it was already resting at.

Cao Pi can barely believe how openly he's offering himself, how easy this eroticism seems to come to him. It's telling of not only desire, but experience, and when he slides a finger down between his cheeks, circles his hole, and is met not with scared tension but with intentional relaxation, his suspicions are confirmed. He uses his other hand to pour some more oil, then rubs it into the skin, the tight ring under his finger providing only a little resistance as he works the oil into it, pushing in but stopping just short of penetrating fully. Sun Quan sighs in pleasure, and Cao Pi feels himself starting to get truly uncomfortably hard.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Cao Pi asks.

"Yes, of course." Sun Quan answers as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Disappointed I'm not yours to deflower, huh?"

Cao Pi laughs, a cold, sinister thing, and pushes in one finger, then another, with barely a moment between them. Sun Quan winces a little at the stretch and how Cao Pi starts twisting them around, but soon enough he relaxes and starts pushing back against those slim fingers, needing more.

"Mmmm, I can tell you know what you like. Tell me, who did you give it to? That monstrous bodyguard of yours?" Cao Pi secretly hopes so, adolescent fantasies from the first time he'd laid eyes on Sun Quan coming to the front of his mind for the first time in many years. He'd told himself back then that he just liked to imagine his rival debased and taken like a whore by his inferiors, but even then, he knew there was something strange in how much he enjoyed it.

"Don't you dare speak of him like that. He's a great man, greater than you'll ever know."

"So it was, was it? I thought as much." Cao Pi smirks and adds a third finger, and Sun Quan can't hold back the groan of pleasure and pain.

"You're a cruel man, teasing me like this." Sun Quan complains, but it doesn't stop him from pushing back.

"Then I'll put you out of your misery," Cao Pi says, and pulls his fingers out slowly, teasing, his other hand wrapped around his rock-hard cock. Once his fingers are out, though, he doesn't waste his time. He grabs Sun Quan's hips and thrusts his whole length in at once with a sharp snap of the hips, and by the wail that rips through Sun Quan's throat, maybe he wasn't as ready as he thought he was.

Sun Quan pants heavily, body wracked with pain, regretting underestimating either the size of Cao Pi's cock or just how long it's been since he's had a man inside him. It _has_ been so long, and as Cao Pi smoothly pulls out and thrusts in again with thankfully slow strokes, the pain starts to ebb, and the stretch starts to feel good.

"You're as loud as I imagined." Cao Pi murmurs, and Sun Quan can only reply by pounding his fist on the bed, grit teeth as a wave of painful pleasure ripples through him.

"How much have you thought about this?" Sun Quan asks once he has his voice back, even if it's bracketed with yelps as Cao Pi shifts his position and starts to move a little faster.

"I was thinking about you the entire time after that kiss. Maybe that's why the work seemed so hard," Cao Pi snaps his hips on that word, and Sun Quan groans, deep and throaty. "I couldn't stay focused, not while thinking about you."

"Tell me, tell me what you were thinking about, I want to hear all of it…" Sun Quan can't help stumbling on his words a little as Cao Pi picks up the pace. But the thought of Cao Pi sitting behind a mountain of scrolls, frustrated because of him… he needs to know more. He wants to hear Cao Pi say it out loud, in detail, wants to hear more about how he looks through Cao Pi's eyes, wants to hear what Cao Pi wants to do to him even now as he's being fucked ass-up and face-down.

"I thought about bending you over the throne," Cao Pi purrs, "Taking you in all your finery, all that red silk against gold, your voice echoing through the chamber…"

Sun Quan moans loudly at the thought, the unimaginable taboo of the defilement of the imperial throne making the fantasy even more thrilling.

"Or making you suck me off as I work, that sharp tongue of yours being put to better use… Laying you down in the gardens, your hair spread out beneath you, skin glowing bronze is the setting sun…"

Cao Pi pulls out, and Sun Quan's about to complain before he finds himself being bodily rolled over. Cao Pi's eyes blaze as they meet his, and the kiss they share is more tongue and teeth than anything else.

"I want to see your face as you come. Say my name, loud enough for the entire palace to hear it." Cao Pi pants once they break apart, and grabs a pillow to shove underneath Sun Quan's back.

"Make me." Sun Quan replies, and when Cao Pi shoves back inside roughly, he can tell that was the right thing to say. He cries out, bucks back against the onslaught as Cao Pi rams into him, unforgiving and brutal, the sound of flesh against flesh unmistakable in the air. Their lips meet again, wet and greedy, and when Cao Pi grabs Sun Quan behind the knees and pushes them down, fucking him spread eagle, Sun Quan does indeed scream loud enough for the whole palace to hear.

"There, please, there…!" Sun Quan begs, pleasure shooting through his body as Cao Pi's thrusts hammer against that spot that drains all strength from his limbs and reduces him to feeling nothing but white-hot ecstasy. He snakes a hand between them both and starts pumping his own cock, already leaking, and Cao Pi speeds up even more, close to the edge himself.

"Let them know you belong tome." Cao Pi growls, and Sun Quan feels himself start to slip.

"I'm yours, I'm yours, Zihuan, please, I'm so close—!"

Cao Pi leans down, kisses him, and Sun Quan comes with a long, drawn out sob, painting both their stomachs with a copious amount of white. Cao Pi pounds through the aftershocks, and the twitching, clenching heat is soon too much for him to bear too, and he pulls out to shoot his seed onto Sun Quan's stomach and chest with a loud groan of his own, their come mixing together on glistening tanned skin.

"Wow." Cao Pi says after a few moments, once both of them have caught their breath, and rolls over onto his back beside Sun Quan. "You're amazing, you know that."

"I'm sticky, is what I am." Sun Quan replies, drawing lazy circles in the cooling mess glazing his abdomen.

"Hmph. Just use one of my robes to clean it up, I will have a bath drawn for you later. Just stay with me for now."

 _That's a terrible idea_ , Sun Quan wants to say, but he finds himself doing so anyway, wiping them both down with luxurious blue silk, and the next thing he knows, he's falling asleep, Cao Pi's head resting against his chest, sleep softening the permanent frown on his brows.

The morning comes with a soft nudge to his arm, and the dawning realisation that he really, really needs a bath.

"Come. I had your servants bring fresh clothing to the palace, I told them that you fell asleep drunk after the banquet."

Sun Quan opens his eyes blearily, and sees Cao Pi leaning down above him, clean and dressed, the long ponytail hanging down over his shoulder leaving a damp spot on his clothing.

"What time is it…?" he asks, voice croaky with exhaustion, and stretches out his stiff and aching muscles.

"Nearly lunch. Would you care to join me?"

Sun Quan swears, and stumbles to his feet. Cao Pi laughs, and when Sun Quan shoots him a glare, he only shrugs.

"I woke only a little while ago too, don't look so upset. The water should still be warm, if you want to take a bath."

"I think… that would be a good idea." Sun Quan grumbles and slides on his turquoise inner robes, attempting some form of decency. Cao Pi seems to be amused by his efforts, and laughs again.

"Just through that door. Don't worry, I demanded to go without bathing attendants the moment I was old enough to wash myself. You may take as long as you like."

Sun Quan does not take long, already embarrassed at having not only spent the night, but to have overslept as well. He washes quickly, only long enough to rid himself of sweat and grime and not allowing himself to relax too long in the warm water or to wash his hair. He's spent too much time here, and each passing moment is a reminder of Cao Pi's power over him, and how ashamed he feels for not hating it. He dresses in the fresh robes (vibrant blue with designs of silver phoenixes, ones he's never worn before and likely never will again. He wonders if Cao Pi requested these in particular.), ties his hair roughly, and stares himself down in the small silver mirror in the corner of Cao Pi's extravagant bathroom. He breathes out slowly, calmly, and takes down his hair, this time taking the time to comb it through with his fingers and tie it back properly. When he emerges, he holds his head high as usual, and tries not to let show how powerless he feels.

"Lunch?" Cao Pi asks with a smile, and Sun Quan sweeps past him, adjusting his clothing as he walks.

"Thank you," Sun Quan says, and collects his crown, the one thing he'd worn last night that hasn't already been spirited away presumably by Cao Pi's bedservants. He slides it over his hair and pins it in place, and a little bit of control comes back into his heart. "But I've already imposed too much on your hospitality."

Cao Pi does not reply, and Sun Quan leaves the palace dressed in brilliant blue and silver, out-of-place gold glimmering in the noon sunlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note: yes, Cao Cao did praise the young Sun Quan very highly, but we are talking about when Sun Quan was a child. Their negotiations as adults were presumably a little more tense, given the entire… Chibi incident. Also, given that Sun Quan spends a great deal more of his time allied with Liu Bei than Cao Pi, it's interesting to me that his designs so often include turquoise or teal, which you could read as being a mix of blue and green, rather than just green. I'm sure it's just because blue-green looks prettier with orange than just straight green rather than any deeper meaning, but, well. Everything has meaning if you give it meaning!


End file.
